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Earth is under pressure, but a sense of hope remains. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus will inspire the public to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect the natural world.

Award Details

The first recipients are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the close bond she shared with us.”

“This medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives carried out to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it’s very hard to feel hopeful. Certain policies in one major nation represents a war on science. So this undermines the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, the situation appears particularly bright which means we need to commence reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

Following an Example

Therefore, observers believe it was an opportune moment to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

A pressing concern today was highlighted of disinformation. The focus of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration is that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to get involved and to show concern and to work toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on doing our utmost,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, humanity are capable of being responsible caretakers of our planet”, highlighting the programs of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, helps the youth become engaged locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often told everyone, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding about beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”